You can apply for permanent residency (PR) in Canada through a variety of immigration programmes if you are a skilled worker wishing to immigrate to Canada. Canada welcomes foreign nationals with wide arms, offering over 100 distinct immigration options.
According to the Immigration Levels Plan for the Years 2022-2024, Canada aims to welcome 431,645 newcomers in 2022, resulting in increased job prospects for foreigners in Canada.
In 2023, we can expect 447,055 entrants, with 451,000 foreign nationals expected to enter the Canadian labour market in 2024.
Are you a competent worker in Canada with in-demand skills? With your skillset, you can bring value to the Canadian labour market. We’ll look at the many options for obtaining a work visa in Canada, which can lead to permanent residency in Canada in five simple steps.
The Express Entry system, which consists of three immigration programmes, is where you can begin your application for permanent residency in Canada. These are the following:
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
Let’s look at the prerequisites and how each of these programmes works.
The Canadian Experience Class:
This is designed for skilled employees who want to seek for permanent residency in Canada. Your application will be evaluated based on your Canadian work experience, which must have occurred within the previous three years.
Minimum Canadian Experience Class Requirements
- Candidates will be evaluated on their writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills. The language test will be administered in either English or French.
- The skilled worker must have at least one year of experience in a skilled job in Canada. Note that skilled work is defined by the Canadian government as any job done in your field of expertise for which you have been paid. Volunteering or working as an unpaid intern will not be considered skilled labour. Self-employment and job experience earned while enrolled in school full-time will not be considered skilled work.
- Education: This program has no specific educational requirement. The Express Entry system is driven by a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that enables eligible skilled workers to improve their rank in the Express Entry pool. This can be achieved if: You went to a school in Canada and obtained a qualification from a Canadian secondary institution; or a post-secondary institution; or if the skilled worker has a foreign credential from a designated institution that is the equivalent of a Canadian credential.
- Regional settlement: You must have the intention to live outside of Quebec. Should you decide to live in Quebec, make sure that you check the process for Quebec selected skilled workers.
Federal Skilled Program:
If you are a foreign national seeking permanent residence in Canada, you must be a skilled worker with prior job experience in another country. Candidates are chosen depending on their ability to score a certain number of points. Candidates with a high rating will receive an Invitation To Apply (ITA) to the PR programme in Canada.
Minimum Federal Skilled Program Requirements
- You must demonstrate that you have worked in your occupation and performed the majority of the duties related to your occupation for your skilled work experience. You should have earned experience in the primary occupation for which you applied for immigration.
- Paid work experience counts as work experience, and it must have been obtained within the last ten years.
- Work experience gained as a student will be accepted as acceptable work experience.
- For either French or English, there will be a language ability test in reading, writing, hearing, and speaking.
- Education: If you attended a Canadian school, you should be able to show proof of graduation from a Canadian institution. If you hold a foreign credential, it must have been received from a designated institution that is comparable to a Canadian qualification.
- Demonstrate that if you settle in Canada, you can care for yourself and your family.
- You must intend to live outside of Quebec to be eligible for regional settlement. If you choose to live in Quebec, make sure you understand the selection procedure for Quebec-selected skilled professionals.
Federal Skilled Trades Program:
If you are a skilled worker seeking a work permit in Canada and are qualified in a skilled trade, this programme is for you. Skilled workers applying for permanent residency in Canada under this programme must have a valid job offer or a credential demonstrating their trade qualifications.
Federal Skilled Trades Program Minimum Requirements
- Candidates who apply for permanent residency in Canada through this programme will be required to take a language level test in either English or French.
- Before applying to the programme, applicants must have at least two years of experience in a skilled trade within the previous five years. While the Federal Skilled Program considers student work experience to be acceptable, it does not consider volunteer or unpaid internships to be valid work experience.
- All skilled workers must meet the job standards outlined in the National Occupational Classification for the skilled trade (NOC).
- Work experience in a skilled trade is only acknowledged after a skilled worker has gained experience and is qualified to practise independently.
- This programme does not necessitate any formal schooling. You, like the Canadian Experience Class, should have attended a Canadian school and graduated with a diploma from a Canadian secondary or post-secondary institution. Alternatively, the skilled worker can have a foreign credential equivalent to a Canadian credential from a designated institution.
- You must intend to live outside of Quebec to be eligible for regional settlement. If you choose to live in Quebec, make sure you understand the selection procedure for Quebec-selected skilled professionals.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
You can also apply to the PNP through the Express Entry system if you meet the qualifications for one of the above programmes. Workers with the proper abilities, education, and job experience can apply for PR in Canada through the PNP. Workers who can fill a labour market deficit in a certain province or region are suitable candidates for this programme. Because each province has varied labour force needs, the standard and methods will vary.
Applicants who achieve the highest points under PNP will receive an ITA to apply, just as they will for the other Express Entry programmes.
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